(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-08 10:51

Life-changing moment

Liang recalls the moment his life changed forever.

"When I was studying in secondary school in 1993, two teachers from Zhongshan Hot Springs Golf Club came to teach us golf and it was then that I developed an interest in the game which led me down this path," he said.

"I won the Chinese Amateur Open Award in 1995 and from 1996 to 1998 I was the China Amateur Open Champion. I was given the opportunity to join the China Tour and I later managed to secure a fourth place in the 1999 Volvo China Open, which was when I decided to turn professional."

Despite his success, Liang remains humble and has not forgotten his roots. He donated all of his winnings from the Singapore Masters ($183,000) to the development of golf in China. With the donation, Zhongshan Club, China's first modern golf course designed by Arnold Palmer in 1984, set up a foundation.

"I have very close ties with Zhongshan Club. It is like a parent to me. Without it, I wouldn't have come so far," Liang said.

"We want golf in China to grow and it is clubs like this that provide a foundation and support for players like me to progress. Otherwise, there would only be rich people playing golf.

"It was good that I had the support and the facilities when I was younger so that I could be what I am today. I hope that this support will continue in the future as I want to help others become good golfers. By giving them my winnings, I am just giving back what I can," said Liang.

Liang knows he needs to leave the comforts of home to test himself abroad.

"I really want to thank the Asian Tour for giving me the chance to play. I definitely want to progress and play internationally and I will always remember and appreciate what the Asian Tour has done for me," said Liang, who is also China's first golfer to earn more than $1 million over his career.

"The highest goal in golf is to play on the US PGA Tour and I will continue to work hard at my game to achieve this."

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